Free Virus Scanners: The Best Protection At No Added Cost

Your computer should absolutely have some form of virus protection on it. Although you can pay for antivirus software, there are plenty of great free virus scanners that are available. Here are our recommendations:

Avast Free Antivirus

Avast is a great option for a free virus scanner for both Mac and PC users. It currently serves over 400 million users and boasts more than just antivirus software. In addition to excellent virus detection, Avast features a malware scanner, password manager, and gaming mode to mute pop-ups and reduce system load times. Avast also won’t slow down your computer or cause any lag time in launching programs.

AVG AntiVirus Free

AVG’s antivirus software offers an email scanner, link scanner, options for scheduling scans, and automatic updates. It’s easy to install the program and let it be. You’ll be protected from viruses and malware without any hassle or monitoring. Plus, it’s got a simple design that makes it really user-friendly for even the most novice of computer users.

Avira Free Antivirus

Avira is one of the free virus scanners that is rather robust— it killed 99.7% of tested threats. It not only scans for viruses, it also offers ransomware and phishing protection. Avira also offers a built-in VPN of 500MB per month. It has excellent detection rates and is available for Windows, Mac, and Android. However, there are some sponsored popups when running so be aware of that, but other than that, Avira will pose little to no impact on your computer’s performance or speed.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition

Bitdefender’s free virus scanner runs on autopilot, so you don’t have to worry about managing any tricky settings. It will automatically scan your computer for you. On the other hand, if you would prefer to have more hands on control, this might not be to your liking. You won’t be able to schedule scans and there isn’t a quick scan option. Bitdefender is a great virus scanner for those who would prefer a hands-off approach to virus protection, with no effect on your computer’s speed or performance.

Panda Protection

Panda Protection is a great option for a free virus scanner. It protects your computer from all the nasty viruses and malware out there, without bogging your computer down. That’s because it runs on the cloud rather than on your actual computer like other free virus scanners. With Panda Protection, your computer will run smoothly and freely while still being fully protected.